Michele Mininni: The Kaleodoscopic Composer...

After hearing Michele's "Carousel of Tears" during Balearic Breakfast, I had to meet the colourful composer and ask him a few questions...

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1) Dear Michele, Thank you so much for joining us! The listeners were blown away by your track, 'Carousel of Tears' which openned the 215th episode of Balearic Breakfast. How do you chose the titles of the songs?

Choosing song titles is one of the most exciting and stimulating aspects of this work. I try to imagine an image that can be described in just two words. For me, this track felt like a final farewell, a sweet end of the world that evokes nostalgia for the future.

2) Of course, the listener can't help but feel the undisclosed and unconscious influence of artists like, for instance, Steve Reich (City Life is somewhat close to some of your tracks, structurally speaking if that make sense). Still, your sonic palette is much more fluid, it has more depth and is "wetter" if that make sense, although retaining a very tense rhythmical aspect on the other side on almost every track... How do you approach music in general?

Throughout my life, I’ve listened to millions of tracks. When I was around 28, I was on the verge of getting sick from music because I ended up never leaving the house just to make sure I wouldn’t miss a single new record. I had a sort of musical bulimia—it wasn’t normal.This obsession, on one hand, severely penalized me in finding a job that could sustain me because that passion never brought me anything financially, apart from a huge waste of time. But on the other hand, it shaped me into a kind of encyclopedia of sound. I have little long-term memory, so I don’t remember album names or titles, but those countless listens have layered themselves into my subconscious and inevitably resurface when I create. I love exploring new paths; I get bored easily, even when listening to other people’s records, and I’m extremely strict with myself about this. Being unplaceable is both my greatest curse and my biggest strength.

3) When listening to a few tracks from your album, it is clear that it is a very organic and vivd sounding musical journey which totally envelopes the listener. Is it something you wanted to achieve? How did you end up deciding on the sound you wanted for this new album? Who did you work with during the mixing/mastering process?

Yes, that was exactly what I wanted to achieve. I wanted the listener to feel like they were on a sonic train where each carriage had a different interior design, yet they remained on the same journey.In terms of sound, I entrusted Marco and his team of engineers. For me, songwriting always comes first—at least, that was the case for this album. If one day I were to make a purely sound-based record, then I would have to work live with an engineer because I don’t have the technical skills to bring to life exactly what I have in my mind. You know, I have so many ideas—some I can't bring to life due to time constraints, since I have to work to make a living, and others because of technical limitations.

4) Why did you entitled this album "Pop Archetypes"? Do you believe it could be considered a concept album?

I wanted something short, ironic, provocative, and that simply sounded good. The term "concept album" is always a bit risky because it can easily slip into excessive length and boredom. Plus, it can sound pretentious—setting an ambitious initial framework that often turns out to be forced.I had a concept and a meaning in mind, but it emerged naturally while I was writing the tracks, not before. One thing I was sure of, though, was my desire for change. I didn’t want my first LP to sound like a sum of my previous EPs—I wouldn’t have forgiven myself for that. That was the toughest challenge, and I think I managed it quite well. Every element of this album has been refined and carefully thought out to be exactly as it is, including the track lengths. For the first time, I even had an excess of material—something unthinkable for me—precisely because I wanted the final result to be as cohesive and unified as possible, despite the variety of styles present.

5) As a DJ, does it happen that your own sets triggers your compositors' soul?

I haven't played a DJ set in five years, and I won’t hide that I miss it a bit. DJing was liberating for me because I would get swept up in the flow of music, and that catharsis helped me break free from the loop of everyday life. You see, I started making music out of sheer curiosity—I wanted to see what would come out of it. I was eager to find out if that all-encompassing approach I embraced during my sets could also translate into my productions. I didn’t start making music to release records; I did it primarily as a challenge to myself. And I have to say, it helped me bring out things I couldn’t express in words.

6) Will you tour with this album? Musically speaking, what's ahead for you in 2025?

Touring? Of course, I’d love to it, but in the musical landscape, I simply don’t exist. 2025 might bring a small surprise, we’ll see. Something that closes the circle before moving on to a new chapter. For me, this imaginary is already dead. The future is always a possibility—whether dramatic or euphoric, but always a possibility.